Mohamed Ahmed

In the future, Mohamed Ahmed wants to give back to his community in Faribault. He wants to repay the people who helped his family settle in the United States.

Mohamed was born in the small town of Dadaab, Kenya. His parents were originally from Somalia but fled to Kenya after the onset of the Somali Civil War. Mohamed spent his early childhood living with his family in a refugee camp. He father was a schoolteacher and made educating his children a priority. In addition to his regular schooling, Mohamed took a private English class to strengthen his language skills.

When Mohamed was told he would be moving to the United States, he wasn’t sure how to react. All he knew about America came from his time listening to the radio. After a long journey, Mohamed and his family arrived in New York City. From there, they were brought to their new home in Hartford, Connecticut. There were very few Somali families in Hartford, and Mohamed spent a lot of time inside his house.

After experiencing intolerance in Hartford, Mohamed’s family decided to move to Minnesota where they could be part of a larger Somali population and more accepting community. Mohamed has spent the last ten years in Faribault and attended Faribault High School. He plans on earning a degree in electronic engineering from the University of Iowa.